Motor Vehicle Repairers Tradesperson Certificate

There has been a lot of discussion in the industry around the Motor Vehicle Repairers Tradesperson Certificate (MVRTC) ever since the Motor Dealers and Repairers Act changed in December 2014. The discourse has been around who can do the work in our workshops and what type of work can they do. The Act is very specific and requires all repairers who carry out repairs to registered motor vehicles to have a current MVRTC (Motor Vehicle Repairers Tradesperson Certificate).

The Act identifies 12 classes of work all of which require the repairer to be licensed. To gain the license the worker must be a qualified tradesperson for that class of work.

Herein lays our problem and the source of conjecture. There are many motor vehicle repair organisations that specialise in a small field within the Motor vehicle repair industry. Exhaust repairers, Brake specialists, Wheel Alignment specialists, Suspension specialists and the fitment of some vehicle aftermarket accessories are all examples of specialist organisations who do work on registered vehicles.

While the person who originally started the business may have or had a qualification and a license, the company has a problem when recruiting new workers. If the candidate for employment is a new entrant worker or an unqualified person, then he must be trained to get the Qualification and then the license. However the workplace cannot train an apprentice in the required qualification because they do not have the scope of work in their business model to accommodate the full trade.

Under the current regulations there is no scope for flexibility in relation to these licenses. We must comply and NSW Fair Trading has been policing the workers and organisations throughout the state. You must ensure that your employees are licensed.

There is no short or easy answer to this question under the current laws but...if employers work collaboratively within the local industry and build partnerships with other companies then there could be a win-win. The employer could engage an apprentice and negotiate a rotation with apprentices at another repairer to give apprentice experience in the other repairs to complete their training. MTA membership may help provide you with a network of employers that could assist or work together to this end.

There are some benefits for this inconvenience:• The apprentice would gain more skills to use for your operation• The additional skills would ensure that the apprentice understands the “full vehicle” and how each component relates• We would ultimately have more qualified people in the industry• There would be a stronger more supportive link between complimentary businesses• Specialist organisations meet the licensing requirements of the Act.

If you require more information then phone MTA NSW: 02 9016 9000 and speak with the Training Department or email: training@mtansw.com.au.